


what your future may hold

by wishingwell44



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Fortune Telling, Happy, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Pre-Slash, Pre-War, Pre-World War II Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers, Psychic Abilities, Tarot, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-12
Updated: 2019-11-12
Packaged: 2021-01-28 21:36:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21399031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wishingwell44/pseuds/wishingwell44
Summary: Steve and Bucky attend a little fair, and end up getting roped into getting their Tarot cards read.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 2
Kudos: 57





	what your future may hold

**Author's Note:**

> I'm starting to read and interpret Tarot cards, so I thought, why not have a little fun and read the pre-war boys' futures' and love life?
> 
> Turned out better than expected. Little sappy, dash of angst, and we got a story.
> 
> Un-Beta'd.
> 
> Enjoy!

Bucky Barnes popped a piece of caramel kettle corn into his mouth, letting the savory sweet treat melt in his mouth. The fall wind blew in Brooklyn, causing Bucky to zip up his jacket just a little bit more.

“Psychic fair? Really, Buck?” Steve huddled his small frame into his own light jacket, and stuffed his hands into the pockets. The wind tousled his hair. 

Bucky chuckled. “It’s fun! I mean why not, right?” he said, shrugging as he walked beside Steve.

“I mean, it’s just a load of crock,” Steve said, and stopped to look at all the other people at the fair. People laughing, enjoying time with their significant others. 

“Stop bein’ such a spoilsport, Steve,” Bucky rolled his eyes, and turned around to face him, still eating the kettle corn. 

“You know this is stupid!” 

“Stupid? This is so interesting.”

“Oh, come on, you were complaining about the magic show last week and how the magician stole your money.”

“Because _ he stole my money _. He beat me up outside the bar because I did pay the guy up at the front. I didn’t want to watch the show - just wanted a drink. Why would I pay to go into the bar when I’m already gonna buy a drink.” Steve huffed, and pursed his lips. People laughed in the distance, and watched people walk throughout the street. “C’mon Stevie. I just want to have a fun day.”

“Admission is free right?”

“Don’t worry about it. I got it covered. Got paid last week, and we already sent in the rent check. Maybe you’ll get advice if you and Suzie Stephens will ever get married.”

*

They walked the fairgrounds, idly looking at what people had to offer. Readings and what Steve could only think of it as cheap nick-nacks. Bucky would look at the table - _ really _look at it - point to the items, engage with the seller and talk to them. He would always be the big personality, where Steve would just want to hang back, fall into his jacket and try and disappear. 

“Did you get a reading yet?” the seller asked as he leaned back into his chair. 

“A reading? As in someone reading a book to me?” Steve furrowed his eyebrows. 

“No,” the seller laughed. “Someone who reads your cards. I feel like you’re going to receive interesting information.”

“Uh,” Steve rubbed the back of his neck, and went to protest, but stopped when he saw Bucky already walking over to the velvet tent. 

As Bucky walked in, he pushed the fabric to the sad and was faced with two empty chairs and a cleared table. They both shrugged at each other and sat down, looking at the empty seat in front of them. 

“Oh, I didn’t even hear the bell ring,” someone said as she walked through the back curtain. She shrugged on her shall, adjusted the dress she was wearing, and sat down on the wooden chair. She cleared her throat. “Hello, my name is Madam Aumley. Would you like your cards read?”

“Hello,” Bucky shifted in his seat. “Uh. Me? Or are you talking to Steve,” Bucky pointed his thumb at his friend.

“Both,” she smiled. 

Bucky brought his seat closer. “I’ll go first. Can these cards predict the future?”

“Yes, and no. These cards give a greater understanding to any questions you may have. Love life, future, career…” her voice drifted. 

“Future first,” Bucky said. 

“Think of it as a question.” Bucky nodded, and she started to shuffle the cards. “Now you,” she handed them over to Bucky, who shuffled them quietly. She split the deck in three parts. “Pick.”

Bucky pursed his lips. “This one,” he said pointed to the deck closest to his left hand. She moved the other two away and flipped four cards. 

“May I read them for you?”

Bucky raised his eyebrows. “Yeah. Yes.” 

“I read inversions, just so you are aware. That means the opposite. Let’s begin. You will be guided. Someone older, wiser, will help you move through everyday life, and with the Judgement card, you will be rewarded for what you have done. Almost like you have entered a new life. There will be detachment. The Devil card. Interesting,” Madam Aulemy hummed. 

“I mean, I know I sin and all, but I ain’t _ that _ bad,” Bucky tried to laugh off his discomfort.

“Well,” Steve quietly interjected, and before the reader began again.

“It’s not bad, per say. It doesn’t mean Hell is going to snatch you right from your everyday life. It means detachment. You will become detached from your future. This is odd. It’s...it’s giving me two future outcomes.” 

Bucky was quiet. 

“There is marriage.” 

“I bet Suzie will say yes, then,” Bucky waggled his eyebrows, but got no reaction. Instead Madam Aulemy rearranged the cards on the table. She placed the Hierophant and Judgement together, then the inverted Devil, and then Marriage on the end. 

“Your future. You will be guided. Traditions set in place by an older and wiser gentleman. Does this make sense?”

“I uh. Sure,” Bucky cleared his throat, not wanting to say anything about his army papers that he received in the mail. He couldn’t break it to Steve. He couldn’t face the fact that he would be leaving him all alone. 

“Judgement. Reward for what you have done. Probably set upon by the older and wiser gentleman. Or, it could be a system of people.” 

“Okay,” Bucky neither agrees or disagrees with the statement. 

“You will become detached from yourself...but it can also mean that you will break free from whatever systems,” Madam Aulemy tapped on the Hierophant card, “are guiding you. With that detachment comes marriage.”

“Well,” Bucky smiled, “at least it ends happy.” 

Madam Aulemy smiled. “Would you like your Love life reading or would you,” she faced Steve, “like your future read next?”

“Uh,” Steve shifted in his seat. He wanted his future read. Something in the back of his mind was chanting to go next, but he shook his head slightly. Madam Aulmey turned herself back to Bucky and gathered her cards. She shuffled them again and handed them to Bucky, who in turn shuffled. Just like his first reading, she split the cards into three and let Bucky pick. 

“Deck two. The middle one.You may read my cards.”

She smiled and then flipped four cards. “If you don’t mind me being so forward with you…” Madam Aulemy folded her hands. Bucky bit the inside of his lip. 

“I mean, I guess it’s whatever the cards say, right?”

“In a way, yes. You date around a lot, don’t you?” 

Bucky’s cheeks gave off a red hue. “I mean I wouldn’t...I have so many…”

“Yes,” Steve answered for him and Bucky gave him a look. “What? You literally went on three dates last week. With two different women.” 

Bucky just glared at him. “Moving on.” 

Madam Aluemy just laughed as she really took a look at the second card. “You’re disappointed in your love life.” 

Bucky swallowed, and his chest tightened. He didn’t want to say it. He didn’t want to say yes in front of Steve. He didn’t want to say yes in front of Steve because _ Steve _ was the reason he was disappointed in his love life. 

Because Steve wasn’t part of it.

Every time he was out with those women, he enjoyed it, yes, but...it wasn’t Steve. It wasn’t Steve there eating a quick meal. It wasn’t Steve dancing the night away, and walking back to their place at 2 in the morning. It just.

It just wasn’t him. 

“I take you silence as a yes?” 

Bucky pursed his lips. “Can I plead the fifth?” 

Steve furrowed his eyebrows. 

“Don’t worry,” she smiled. “You won’t be disappointed. It will take a long time, with a lot of effort, but you will get there. That’s what the Three of Pentacles is showing me. It’s going to take a lot. A long journey is ahead of you.”

Bucky rubbed the back of his neck. “Okay, thank you for reading my cards..”

“You are next,” Madam Aulemy stated. 

“Doesn’t look like I’m getting out of this one, huh?” Steve asked. 

“No. I have this strong hunch that this is something you need to know,” Madam Aulemy smiled and started reshuffling the cards in front of her. She handed the deck to Steve. “Now you.”

Steve shuffled the cards overhand, making sure each small stack fell into the correct place. He handed the cards back. Madam Aulemy split the cards into two decks. 

“Why not three, like Bucky?”

“I just have a feeling you will be better read when the deck is split into two.”

Steve didn’t give a response, immediately. “Oh, you can read my cards.”

“Thank you,” she smiled and turned over four cards at once. “Hm. Interesting. The Hermit, inverted. You will become very isolated. Lonely. You also have another inverted Major Arcana. The Moon. I think this isolation will cause repressed emotions and confusion, and your fear will bubble over. The two of you. Very strange - you tend to have dual futures.”

“Is that...bad?” Steve questioned, still really not believing what Madam Aulemy was saying. 

“Not necessarily. But, generally when I read people, I see one concrete answer. Some cards dealing with the present situation, and some with what the future may hold.”

Steve nodded. 

“Financially, you will have a very good future. Your work and patience will be rewarded, but it will be a lot of work and time. With this, you will become very capable of yourself and very practical. Overally, a very positive outcome. Remember, patience is a virtue. Let’s read your love cards.”

“I think, uh,” Steve started, before he cleared his throat. 

“C’mon, I got mine read,” Bucky chuckled. 

Steve sighed, and caved. “Fine. You can read my cards.” Madam Aulemy smiled and shuffled the cards, handing them off to Steve to repeat the same process. “Left,” Steve stated. 

Madam Aulemy flipped over four cards. “You will have choices.”

“Look it you,” Bucky laughed, and Steve could only flush with red. This was something deep seeded. He knew. He knew he liked women, but...but he also liked Bucky. Or, in general, men. He wasn’t sure. But, he was sure about Bucky. How he took care of him. How Bucky made sure Steve was not getting into any fights. 

“Wait, is that the card of Death? I’m not gonna die right?” Steve started to become a little nervous. 

“No, no. Death just means the end of something. We also have the disconnect card. That could mean whoever you are intertwined with, you will become disconnected - emotionally, physically - and the relationship will end.”

“Well, that goes on par with my luck.”

“Not to worry. You will have choices,” she smiled, and then turned to Bucky. “I need you to leave. I have something to discuss with your friend.”

“Uh,” Bucky furrowed his eyebrows. “Whatever you say to Steve, you can say to me.”

“This is not for your ears, just yet,” Madam Aulemy’s words were strong. 

Bucky pursed his lips and almost huffed. He stood up and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’ll be right outside, Stevie.”

Madam Aulemy waited until the curtain stopped moving, and sat forward. “I am just letting you know, whatever you say, I will not say anything. You have my word.”

“Should I be scared?” Steve asked.

“Not at all, but this might come as something you have already known,” Madam Aulemy paused. “The King of Pentacles, not inverted, is your last card in your love reading. Tell me, who is the man in your life that you seek?”

Steve sank into his chair, with red rising up from his chest. “I see what you mean now. Are you the real deal?”

“People say I am very good. That they say I come in at the point of time that they need me. So, who is the man in your life that you seek? The card tells me here that he is good with numbers.”

Steve’s eyes widened a bit, and cleared his throat. “Uh. My friend.”

“The man that is here with you?”

“Yes. He’s an accountant. A real good one too. He afford the apartment, and doesn’t let me chip in for that.”

Madam Aulemy smiled softly. “You will have choices, and one of those choices will end. Go with your heart, when you can, but remember - you will have the opportunity. Don’t forget about that.”

Steve pursed his lips together, and nodded, before standing up. “Thank you. That was something else,” Steve chuckled. “How much do we owe you?” Steve looked down and started digging into his pockets. 

“Not necessary. All I want to do is just interpret the information that the universe has given us,” she smiled. 

Steve continued to dig in his pockets, and couldn’t find anything. He looked away from Madam Aulemy and opened the curtain. Bucky was standing around outside, about five feet away. 

“You done?” Bucky raised his eyebrows, and Steve just looked at the man in front of him. It was always Bucky, always the person that was there for him. 

“Yeah, all done. I must have left my wallet at home - I can pay you back next week -”

“It was my idea anyway -” Bucky smirked. “I got it.” 

Steve smiled. Bucky opened the curtain to an empty room. “Hello?” Bucky asked. No one responded. “Hello?” Still no response. Bucky walked into the tent some more, and just stood by the table. Steve opened the curtain. 

“You okay?”

“Yeah - I just don’t know where Madam Aulemy went.” 

“She’s gone?”

“Just like that.”

They heard some rustling from the other side. “I hate this costume- I don’t know why I wear this stupid thing - oh! You’re here,” a different woman said as she entered the tent. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Who are you?” Steve asked. 

“The woman sat down, and cleared her throat. I’m your local psychic. Madam Consorti.” 

“What happened to Madam Aulemy?” Bucky asked. 

“Who?” Madam Consorti asked as she shuffled her cards. 

“Never mind - we were just leaving.” Bucky said and walked out of the tend, with Steve in tow.

*

“So, that was strange,” Bucky stated as they walked through the crowd. 

Steve laughed. “It certainly was.” 

“Love choices,” Bucky pondered over Steve’s card. “You know what? Good on you, Stevie. Maybe there will be love in your future after all.

Steve looked at Bucky, and smiled. “Who knows. Maybe.”

**Author's Note:**

> Constructive crit always welcome!


End file.
